Vestibule for railway-cars



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. L. MGKBBN. VESTIBULE FOR RAILWAY GARS.

No. 595,279. Patented Dec. '7, 1897.

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(No Model.)

T. L. MQKBEN. VBSTIBULB POR RAILWAY CARS. No. 595,279. Patented Dec. 7, 1897.l

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T. L. MCKEEN. VBSTIBULB FOR RAILWAY CARS. No. 595,279. Patented Dec.7,1897.

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UNiTn STATES PATENT Trice.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE TROJAN OAR COUPLER COMPANY, OF TROY, NEWT YORK.

VESTIBU LE FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,279, dated December 7, 1897'.

Application filed March ll, 1897. Serial No. 627,045. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MCKEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Easton, Northampton county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vestibules for Railway- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of vestibule-cars in which there is a face-plate at the end of the platform of each car, with springs for forcing the lower portion of the faceplate outward and my invention consists of a certain arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully set forth, whereby the outward movement of the lower part of the face-plate is made the means of forcing out the upper portion to a like extent.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end view of a vestibule-car embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation showing a modification, and Fig. I is a sectional elevation showing another modification.

The car-body X is of any suitable construction, with the usual platforms L, to which access is had by side doors M, with an end pas sage-way through each end frame N. At each end there is the usual vestibule faceplate K, with the buffer-head H connected at the lower end thereof and secured to horizontal rods g, with shoulders bearing upon springs h, properly arranged to normally throw out the rods and the face-plate. The foot-plate c upon the buffenhead II extends under a footplate e of the platform. Between the faceplate and the end frame N intervenes the flexible side and top portionID of suitable construction. Normally when the cars are separated the springs h will throw out the bufferheads and face-plates at the lower ends, but yield when two cars are brought together, so as to maintain the opposing faceplates in contact.

In order to throw out the upper ends of the face-plates, I malte use of levers A A at opposite sides of the frame N, the outer ends of the levers being in contact with bearings C upon the inner faces of the face-plates K, and a flexible strap, chain, or cable D is secured to the inner end of each lever A, passes down beneath a guide-pulley E upon the frame N and over a guide-pulley E' at the inner side of the faceplate K, and is connected directly or indirectly either to the face-plate or the buffer-head or to a point upon the platform. As shown in Figs. l and 2, the end of the cable D is connected with a rod F, passing through the foot-plate c and through a spring Gr below the latter and provided with a threaded end having a nut-I, bearing against the under-end of the spring. From this construction and arrangement it will be seen that any slack occurring in the cables may be readily taken up by the nut I without in any manner disturbing or removing any part of the general structure. When the face-plate is thrust outward by the action of the springs h, the distance between the pulleys E E increases. There is a draft exerted upon the cable D, which pulls upon the short arm of the lever A, raises the long arm, and thrusts outward the upper end of the face-plate. By properly proportioning the lever in respect to the eX- tent to which the cable is taken up the outward movement of the lower end of the faceplate may thus be made the means of correspon dingly forcing out the upper end thereof, so that in effect the same springs 7i which force out one end constitute the means of forcing out the other to an equal extent. The lever A may bear directly against the inner side of the face-plate K as a bearing; but I prefer to provide a bearing C, as shown, having a wedge-like projection t', widest at the top, which gives an increased leverage and cam action and secures a greater horizontal movement of the face-plate from the swinging of the lever.

It will be seen that the. result above described will ensue if the end of the cable D is secured directly as,for instance,at the point CLL-to the face-plate; but I prefer to make use of a spring connected with the end of the cable, which will take up any slack and maintain the cable taut.

The lever A may be arranged in diiferent ways, and the cable D may be passed around pulleys and connected in any manner so that it will be drawn upon to swing the lever outward when the lower end of the faceplate is IOO moved outward. Thus, as shown in Fig.3,the y and 2, and the lever instead of being arranged as before described may be arranged as shown at z, Fig. 3, with the cable D connected thereto between the fulcrum and the bearing. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 the cable D passes around a pulley F3 at the lower end of the face-plate and is connected to a rod h', having a nut which bears against the rear end of a spring G', bearing against one of the cross-bars of the platform.

It will be seen that in all of the arrangements specified the cables extending from the levers A are so connected at their lower ends with either the face-plate or the platform that they will be drawn upon by the movement of the face-plate from the platform, and that when the face-plate moves inward and swings the levers in an opposite direction the levers draw upon and take up the cables.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the levers are pivoted to the face-plate and the \bearings are upon the frame N.

When the levers are pivoted between their ends, I prefer to make the short arm of each lever in the form of asector with a rear curved face, over which extends the cableD or a strap connected to the cable and constituting, practically, a part thereof, and attached at the upper end to the upper face of the short arm of the lever. Preferably the lever is provided with a pulley'at the end of the long arm, which enters a groove in t'lie bearings and thereby prevents lateral movement.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, I claim as my invention* l. The combination with a car-platform, its frame N, face-plate K, and springs, and connections for forcing out the lower end of the face-plate, of levers between the face-plate and frame N, guide-pulleys, and cables connected with the levers passing around said guide-pulleys, and springs arranged to take up slack in vsaid cables, substantially as and for the Vpurpose set forth.

2. The combination of the platform, faceplate, and bearings C having inclined faces, of levers bearing on said faces and cables connected with the said levers, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the platform, frame N, face-plate, and levers pivoted between the frame and the face-plate, the short ends of the levers having curved faces, and cables extending over said curved faces, and secured at their lower ends to a part of the structure, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN.

`Witnessesz H. E. HAY, W. CLARENCE DUVALL. 

